SEAM voluntary Mistakes, yet our Endeavours XIII certainly are in our Power, and those it is

expected that we make ufe of. God does

not require any thing of us above what we are able, but then he requires what we have in our Power to do, and where we have not Power, he will supply the Want of it with his divine Affiftance.

But let it be obferv'd further, that to have a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Men, will fignify but little if it be put in practice only at particular Times, for 'tis neceffary that it be fo always. The Apostle's Confcience was not only void of Offence, but it was always fo, 'twas what he exercis'd himself in the whole Courfe of his Life. This requires a conftant, fteady Temper of Mind; no fudden Flashes of Piety, that go off as foon as they come, and feem to be rather the Fever of Confcience than the natural State of it; no tranfient Thoughts, that die upon our Hands; no fhort Transports and Fits of Devotion, fuch as it is in the Power of every light Affliction to ftifle and fupprefs, but an even, regular, uniform Courfe of Life. They are therefore very much mistaken, who think they have preferv'd a clear Confeience, and thoroughly difcharg'd their Duty,

Duty when they have perform'd fome Acts SERM of Religion at a few ftated Times, and then XIIL give themselves the Loofe, and undo every thing they had done before, as if the Obr ligations they are under to lead a good Life were not of equal Force and Strength one time as well as another. And yet there are many who, when they have perform'd their Duty at fome certain Times, attended the Service of God in publick, and behaved themselves on fuch Occafions as every good 'Man ought, will fit down as well pleased, and rest as well fatisfied, at least as to all outward Appearance, as if they had thoroughly discharged their Confcience; tho' = perhaps they have scarce done a good Action at any other time in the whole Course of their Lives, but on the contrary have indulged themselves in all manner of Ini. quity; who will lye, and cheat, and revile their Neighbours, and (as long as they can keep themselves within Covert, and screen their Immoralities from the Eye of the World, or the Law) commit the greatest Villainies imaginable, And this is most common among thofe who truft in themselves that they are righteous, and despise. others; who when they have perform'd their religious Task of going to fome public Place

of

SERM. of Worship at the ufual Times for fo doing; I XIII. fay, when they have performed their Task, (for fuch they make it, whofe Lives are not of a piece with it) aim at nothing further; who can pray with their Mouth, and enterta Malice and Rancour in their Heart; who can lift up their Eyes to Heaven, and their Hands againft their Brethren ; fuch are apt to think all is well, they may do whatever they pleafe, every thing in them is commendable and praife-worthy. This is a way of discharging the Confcience in deed, if it will be fo discharged. But this will not do; this will ferve no Purpose but a bad one; for religious Duties muft not be changeable, like the Weather, but conftant and habitual; not by Fits and Starts, like fo many Points at unequal Diftances from one another, but in one regular Motion like a ftrait continued Line.

And, in order to it, we muft not let any thing break in upon us, and engrofs too much of our Time; for the Time past can't be recall'd, the Time that is to come is not to be depended on, and we are only fure of that which is prefent. But to this, per haps, it will be objected, that there is no living in the World without fpending a great deal of Time in worldly Affairs; and

that

that it would be impoffible always to be SERM. employed about Matters of Religion. This XIII. is indeed very true, but 'tis nothing to the Purpose; for every one may follow his fecular Employment without neglecting his Religion: Worldly Affairs are no further to be avoided than as they thrust out Religion, and thofe Things that are of a spiritual Nature. And indeed there must be great Caution used with respect to this; for if the World takes up a Month of our Time with our Consent, 'tis very much if it does not take up another without it; the giving up one Duty will lead us to give up another, and the more Conceffions we make, the fooner fhall we give up the whole. Temporal and fpiritual Affairs will very well agree together, and may, with Prudence, join Hand in Hand for our future as well as present Happiness; for if a Man is diligent and careful in his Business, in fuch a manner as not to forget his Religion, he is ferving God at the fame time, because he is doing his Duty in that State of Life unto which it hath pleased God to call him. Having thus shewn what it is to have a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Men,

I come now,

N n

Secondly,

SERM.
XIII.

Secondly, To fhew the Happiness that refults from it, and the Mifery that attends the Want of it. He who has a Conscience void of Offence, or, which is the fame, who does every thing agreeable to the Will of God, and omits nothing that relates to the Duty we owe to our Neighbour, finds a comfortable Reflection arifing from it, that affords him the greatest Happiness and Satisfaction under Heaven; for fuch a Conscience is neither terrified with Guilt, nor leaves a Stain or Blemish on the Soul; it must therefore be the greatest and most defireable' Treasure we can have in this Life, and will be of the greateft Ufe to us in that which is to come; it preserves a conftant Ease and Serenity within us, and is more than an Equivalent for all the Calamities and Afflictions that we can poffibly undergo. 'Tis this that makes a Man at Peace with God, at Peace with Men, and at Peace with himfelf; for he that has a good Conscience, has nothing to affright, nothing to disturb him, no Midnight gloomy Thoughts to break his Reft, no dreadful Remains of long-contracted Crimes to four his Enjoyments, nor any Loads of Guilt to fit heavy on his Soul The Lord is his Light and his Salvation, whom